That stunning house

October 10, 2011

Here are snapshots of that house we showed in Urban Zone last Friday October 7, 2011. I handed my camera over to my segment producer Stanley Castro. I forgot to tell him that he must have steady hands because I don’t like using flash. Oh well, you get the gist. It’s a stunning house with a neo-industrial feel and elements of tropical architecture and mid-century lines. When I walked in I thought, this would be perfect for Dwell magazine.

Not your typical front yard. Instead, a lap pool. Meet Architect Luigi Bernardo. This house design was very much a collaboration between Luigi and the owners.

Upon entering, you’ll see the dining table and kitchen right away. I love this kitchen. Very industrial/commercial. The owner used to be a chef, of the real kind, meaning he went to chef school in Switzerland. This is no “show kitchen.” It’s really their kitchen.

The house is long sideways. They re-used wood whenever they could. The floor is low maintenance – stone slabs from Pakistan.

Accordion-type folded steel stairs that appear to be floating.

Initially the architect and owners wanted an all-glass window. But they needed more wall space for their art collection.

The second floor. Being essentially a glass house, the owner thought they needed some sort of protection and privacy from the street. So they came up with this lattice-work screen on the bedroom hallway.

The screen is made of wood and veneer. Some parts were reinforced by steel, but they weren’t visible. Luigi said he took inspiration from a wall paper pattern.

View of the steps from the second floor. Most of the art came from Blanc Gallery.

I love this extra hallway upstairs. It serves like a track that goes around the living room. It’s initial purpose was to provide shade for the glass doors below. I love the idea of making it another hallway.

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What’s so monumental about this house is that it shows evidence of how Architects can make their clients’ ideas work…. that collaboration can end with satisfaction for the owners. That owners do not have to live with compromises that their Architects force them into with technical jargon damn-if-you don’t ‘suggestions.’